"Now as you all know, just because it's the first week in school does not -NOT I say- mean that all you children may do as they please. Also, the activity groups, as you should know are obligatory, are now open for inscription. There are several groups: the basketball team, the debate team, the track team, the art club, the drama club, the archery team, the soccer team, the lacrosse team, the swimming team, the anime group, the volleyball team, the horse-back riding class, the wrestling team, the machinery group and the newly suggested nature club" Chiron's, the head principle of Olympia High, droned on through the intercom. Hazel was unconsciously waiting for his long list of lectures and events to end. After homeroom, they were supposed to report to the auditorium pick out what activities they wanted. Then they were supposed to be led with they're groups on a crash-course How To Do This 101. Hazel, of course, had already been fantasizing about her horse-back riding class. This was supposed to be one of the richest school in Manhattan and she'd overheard a senior talking about how the horse you picked your first year in that class got to stay with you until you graduated and that the top of that class could actually keep the horse! Hazel of course started hyperventilating when she heard that and decided her main goal in that class would be to earn the horse. Being as non-wealthy as she was, she couldn't afford this school, much less a horse. She'd only gotten in through a scholarship.

Lost in her day-dreams, Hazel didn't hear the bell ring until the other students started emptying the room like Her mother emptied a bag of Cheetos. She got her things and started heading for the auditorium, her quick pace considered slow by comparison between the other students'. "Hazel!" A guy with a huge figure stumbled up to Hazel. "Hey Frank" she waved at the Chinese-Canadian. Frank had moved to New York two months ago and met Hazel at the orientation last month, since then they'd become quick and close friends.

"So what activity are you going to do?" He asked her.

"Horse-back riding. You?"

"Probably archery. I just hope I won't make a total klutz out of myself at tryouts"

"Oh you're not a klutz. At least not a total one" Hazel tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the grin that was fighting to spread across her face. She was mentally relieved that horse-back riding wasn't classified as a team, because in the ones that were you had to try out and if you didn't pass, you had to choose a different one.

"Oh shut up, Hazel" frank retorted, his face red. Hazel laughed and punched him playfully on the arm. They walked in comfortable silence while the other students poured into the bleachers.

"Students" Chiron spoke through a microphone. "You have an hour to choose your activity and then report to where the group captain will assign the try-outs." he finished and sped away on his wheelchair. Only Coach hedge, Mrs. Dodds, Mr. Blofis and Mrs. Gottschalk stayed to watch us. As soon as Chiron was out of view and the teachers distracted, the auditorium became as chaotic as No-Math-Day. I sped towards a big sign on the wall:

Activity Captain Tryouts/Introduction

Basketball Will Solace Basketball Area

Swimming Percy Jackson Swimming Pool

Debate Annabeth Chase Room A

Track Reyna Ramirez Race Track

Art Rachel Elizabeth Dare Room B

Drama Piper McLean Stage Room

Archery Zoe Nightshade/Thalia Grace/ Bianca Di Angelo Left fields

Soccer Luke Castellan Center fields

Lacrosse Jason Grace Right fields

Anime Ethan Nakamura Room C

Volleyball Katie Gardner Volleyball Area

Horse-back Riding Silena Beauregard Back fields

Wrestling Clarisse La Rue Gym

Machinery Charles Beckendorf Room D

Nature Club Grover Underwood Forest

On a table under the sign was a long list of names, in which you had to find your own and write down the desired activity. Hazel searched for the L's and finally found Levesque. grabbing a ball point pen, she wrote next to it the words "Horse-back Riding", then headed to the back fields, her heart racing.